The chief executive of travel planning platform Rome2rio has predicted the Covid pandemic will change the way many people will want to travel in 2023.
While many will return to the market after three years of lockdown, there will be those who won’t travel so far, and some who will use transport other than planes when they can, said Yesh Munnangi.
Rome2rio’s CEO expects more local travel. “When the international borders closed during COVID, the only possible travel was local. Data shows that the return of international flights didn't impact this trend as expected. We will continue to see local travelling expand this year,” he added.
Munnangi has also questioned whether travellers will even feel it is necessary to fly.
“A combination of high prices and operational problems have led travellers to look for alternatives such as trains, buses and boats to avoid problems or have a different experience.
“Even more travellers will discover these alternatives in 2023,” he said.
Global warming will also have an impact on travellers’ choices of destinations.
“A smaller but increasingly significant trend is of those travellers who are avoiding flying due to environmental impact. It will be a growing reason to avoid long-haul flights and for choosing local destinations,” Munnangi added.